Trump picks Lockheed executive Rood for top Pentagon policy post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump plans to name John Rood, a senior executive at defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp and a 20-year veteran of various government roles, as undersecretary of defense for policy, the Pentagon’s No. 3 job, the White House said on Wednesday.

Rood, an Arizona native, previously worked for arms maker Raytheon Inc and was a State Department and National Security Council official in the administration of former President George W. Bush.

His appointment to the position, which has been vacant since the start of the Trump administration, is subject to Senate confirmation.

Rood served at the Defense Department as deputy assistant secretary of defense for forces policy and spent 11 years as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency following missile programs in foreign countries.

Rood was also a senior policy adviser to former Republican U.S. Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona.

At Lockheed, he was senior vice president for Lockheed Martin International, where his responsibilities included managing marketing and government relationships.

Army Secretary Mark Esper is a former lobbyist at Raytheon, as well as a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel.